Raipur: Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma expressed confidence that Maoism will be eradicated from the Bastar region within the next year. In a podcast with ANI, the Deputy Chief Minister, who holds the portfolio of Home Ministry in the state, emphasised that Maoists lack specific demands, instead aiming to form a government through violent means, at gunpoint in Chhattisgarh.
“Protests occur all over the world and in countries on certain demands, and the government fulfils them if they come under constitutional limitations. There is nothing in it. PM Modi had also made a farmers’ law which was good for them, but the government repealed it because farmers wanted to do it so. But in Chhattisgarh, what are the demands of Maoists? What do they want? They haven’t ever given any demand form or letter to the government. They just want to form their government on the gunpoint and end democracy. They want Maoism here, similar to what China had. This is not possible. This is the reason why it is taking time to end Maoism here. Union Home Minister Amit Shah took resolutions to end insurgency in the northeastern states. Our party had a resolution of abrogating Article 370, and we did it wonderfully in 2019. Previously, there were also bomb attacks in the country, but now, it doesn’t happen. There was a time when terrorists were fed with Biryani. But now, Modi-government won’t let this happen now,” Sharma said.
The Chhattisgarh Deputy CM said that the government is committed to bringing development and infrastructure to Bastar, addressing the lack of basic facilities such as water, roads, electricity, and connectivity.
Deputy CM Sharma said, “Now, Bastar wants to end Maoism from roots. I have met thousands of people of Bastar, and they want to end it now. We bring youths from Bastar to Raipur and show them the development and infrastructure. These youths haven’t even seen TV. There is no development in the villages of Bastar, no method of irrigation, no electricity, no water, no school, no mobile, no connectivity, no roads, etc. These situations cannot be tolerated. The government is dedicated to bringing developments there. There are no chances of negotiation as they have no demands; they just want to form a government at gunpoint. But still, our government is ready to rehabilitate them and help them come into the mainstream and have discussions with the government. I am saying with confidence that in the next one year, Maoists will end from Bastar…”
Sharma mentioned that the government is willing to rehabilitate Maoists who want to join the mainstream and has a surrender policy in place. “Many times, various states and governments tried to negotiate, formed committees, but all failed. If they (Maoists) want to negotiate, they can, if they want to send an associate for talks, the government will take full responsibility of its safety,” he added.
Maoists have been accused of violent tactics, including taking children from villages to train them.
Citing examples of the Tiananmen Square massacre in China and the Errabore violence in India, Sharma emphasized that such actions are not revolutionary but rather a means to impose their ideology through force.
“I don’t want to call it a revolution, as there is nothing revolutionary in it. They want to form a government on gunpoint. Where in the world can Maoism find a place? They killed their own students with tanks and at Tiananmen Square. Errabore is one such example in India, where Maoists killed several tribals in groups. We will work on these. They didn’t kill security forces; they burnt the village and killed tribals in groups. It is a tactic of those who work on the principle of Maoism,” the Deputy CM said.
When asked about children being taken away and trained by Maoists, Chhattisgarh Deputy CM Sharma said, “Some people might claim that Police Intelligence report is fabricated, but it is clearly mentioned in their letter that Maoists have taken away a 9-year-old child and are training him.”
The government is working to improve infrastructure and connectivity in Bastar, showcasing development and progress to local youths. Initiatives like the ‘Niyad Nellanar Yojana’ aim to bring positive change to the region.
“We have that letter with us… the government’s ‘Niyad Nellanar Yojana’ is going on. So, now, people in the nearby villages say that the (Police) camp should not be removed from there or else they (Maoist) will come again. Naxals have decided that from every house in those villages, they will take away a boy and girl…,” he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has pledged to eradicate Maoist in Chhattisgarh by March 2026, with significant progress already made in the fight against Maoist. There has been an 81 per cent reduction in Maoist violence in the last 14 years, since the 2010 menace touched its peak with a maximum of 1,936 such incidents, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed the Rajya Sabha earlier.
Citing data collated by the ministry, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the number of incidents of Maoist violence was reduced to 374 in 2024. The number of “deaths (civilians + security forces) has also reduced by 85 per cent during this period from 1,005 deaths in 2010 to 150 in 2024.” MoS Rai further said, “Incidents of violence by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), which were 501 in 2019 have reduced to 374 in 2024– a reduction of 25 per cent.” (With inputs from ANI)
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